Today's notes:

Context:

Key Concepts:

What is God's righteousness observed doing?:

Accepting a woman's attempt to anoint His body over what could have been done for the poor.

Memorializing the woman's intention.

What does this tell us about God's righteousness?:

There is almost a situational aspect to righteousness being played out that by His judgment for this time and frame of heart it is acceptable to receive her intention. That would not be true in a similar circumstance if another women was doing the same simply because it had been done before and memorialized or it had been done to exalt one's self above the others or a myriad of other reasons. The righteousness of this specific time is the state woman's heart, the proximity of Jesus to His sacrifice and death, the bravery and desire of the woman in so doing against the objections of the group, and the Lord's discernment of from where this attempt comes.

The woman surely would not have been memorialized had she done this from half a heart or ulterior motive. This is not to say that she was of a full mind knowing all that was going on or what significance this week in particular would play as to mankind's salvation. We do not know what and how much she knew. We know by His words alone that she had somehow anticipated His burial which is likely further along than perhaps even the men folk present this evening.

How is man reacting?:

With indignation toward the woman thinking of better use for the expensive perfume.

Notes:

kjv@John:11:2kjv@John:12:3 John identifies the woman as Mary the sister of Lazarus. He has a strong first hand recollection of the scent of the ointment filling the entire room.

We had just been talking previously of good works and of them being the evidences of a heart transformed and taken by saving grace. Typically we would think as the men here that the better good work would be to sell the valuable ointment giving the price to charity upon the poor not realizing that the better good work for this moment may be to perform service upon the Lord. How many of your good works are works upon the Lord? An equal number? A lesser number? How many are situational to the maturing point of your understanding and relationship to the Lord? To the point of service He has brought you to?

The answer is that too often our works are based upon what the others have done or are doing, what is commonly accepted as being good and proper, thinking of everyone else but the Lord and where He is at in this current spot. If so then our works are not as good as we might make them and may not be of this transformed by grace well spring, but from imitation.

We do not know where Judas was in this troubling of the woman. Perhaps this was his tipping point, perhaps not. He could have been the one to spread the notion to the others; seems the way most group reactions formulate. He could also have been too preoccupied/despondent with loftier matters; we see this as well in advance of manic or psychotic actions. Most portrayals of Judas that I have seen characterize him as the ministry treasurer keeper the ministry purse and being of an all about the money frame of mind. That may be grossly over simplifying why he is thinking and doing what he is about to do.

How Matthew knows and can accurately reflect what the chief priest are thinking is a matter of question. The best explanation is that he was told by some that were present there in the meetings and discussions. We know that not all attending were in agreement with the matter, some had come to Jesus beforehand to warn Him, some after His death were there to beg His body, some converted to the faith immediately after His resurrection. We also know that John was known by them and brought into the early trial proceedings at the chief priest's palace. We admit that the inspired Word of God is in fact written by the Holy Spirit and that this alone should be proof enough, yet in these types of considerations we can also see how deeply that the Holy Spirit was involved with these men and situations ahead of writing the facts into this gospel.

Key Messages:

What does this say about our present condition?

If righteousness can be as situational as I have suggested, so too then can be our good works. A work might have been good back when the first person performed; either connection to the truthful moment has now changed or else the heart from which it is being performed is less than truthful. There is a general righteousness I gather that is always right (like giving to the poor) (one couldn't do wrong), but situations where a better righteousness is served by something other. The difference appears to be the heart and the awareness as to what that something other might be. I doubt if any of us continuously operate in this something different form of works for long.

Good works also at times have to go up against the intentions and judgments of the more established consensus. They often get left off at the planning stages just to fit in else they die off in the effort to seek other's support first.

There is an odd similarity between the woman going against the tide to do what is right and Judas going against the tide to do what is wrong. They both are convinced that what they are about to do is the thing best for them to do. Then there is the middle ground maintaining the safe ground in one sense, but being played in the other. On which ground do we individually stand today after reading this passage?